A new report released this morning from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety finds millennial drivers are the worst.
The report finds 88% of drivers in the age bracket of 19-24 engaged in at least one risky behavior behind the wheel in the last 30 days. Dangerous behaviors included: texting while driving, running red lights, and speeding. The report comes as traffic deaths in the United States rose to 35,092 in 2015- an increase of more than 7%.
“Alarmingly, some of the drivers ages 19-24 believe that their dangerous driving behavior is acceptable,” said Dr. David Yang, AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety executive director. “It’s critical that these drivers understand the potentially deadly consequences of engaging in these types of behaviors and that they change their behavior and attitudes in order to reverse the growing number of fatalities on U.S. roads.”
Texting While Driving
• Drivers ages 19-24 were 1.6 times as likely as all drivers to report having read a text message or e-mail while driving in the last 30 days (66.1 percent vs. 40.2 percent).
• Drivers ages 19-24 were nearly twice as likely as all drivers to report having typed or sent a text message or e-mail while driving (59.3% vs. 31.4%).
Speeding
• Drivers ages 19-24 were 1.4 times as likely as all drivers to report having driven 10 mph over the speed limit on a residential street.
• Nearly 12% of drivers ages 19-24 reported feeling that it is acceptable to drive 10 mph over the speed limit in a school zone, compared to less than 5% of all drivers.
Red-Light Running
• Nearly 50% of drivers ages 19-24 reported driving through a light that had just turned red when they could have stopped safely, compared to 36% of all drivers.
• Nearly 14% of drivers ages 19-24 reported feeling that it is acceptable to drive through a light that just turned red, when they could have stopped safely, compared to about 6% of all drivers.
